Hospitals are Seeing HUGE Increases in Workplace Violence Causing Staff Burnout
The Escalating Reality of Hospital Violence
Workplace violence in healthcare has become a critical issue, severely impacting the safety and well-being of medical professionals. The American Hospital Association (AHA) reports that 76% of healthcare workers have experienced verbal or physical violence, making it the leading cause of burnout and turnover among nurses in the United States. Healthcare workers are five times more likely to experience a workplace violence incident compared to other professions. The AHA’s Hospitals Against Violence (HAV) initiative highlights that a nurse is assaulted every two hours in the US, with reported assaults jumping from 14,000 in 2019 to 24,000 in 2023.
Insights from Industry Leaders
In a recent discussion hosted by Jonathan Marx, the reality of this crisis was brought to light. Marx contrasted the fictionalized violence seen on television with the harsh, daily experiences of healthcare workers. He was joined by two experts in the field: John Voight and Mike Shore.
John Voight elaborated on the varied sources of this violence. While nurses are trained to handle behavioral issues from patients with physiological conditions, such as traumatic brain injuries, they frequently face unexpected aggression from belligerent visitors, dysfunctional families, and mentally ill patients lacking community resources. Voight emphasized the need for federal protection for healthcare workers, comparing their vulnerability to the protections afforded to airline flight attendants. “A nurse is assaulted every two hours in this country. Those are stats that most people don’t know about,” Voight noted, stressing the urgent need for action.
Mike Shore, Senior Vice President and General Manager of the Enterprise Division at Axon, discussed the normalization of this violence among the 4 million nurses in the US. “It’s pretty shocking what’s become normalized,” Shore stated. He detailed how Axon, known for its law enforcement technology, entered the healthcare space in 2020 to address the spike in hospital violence during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Technological Solutions for Safer Care
To combat this crisis, hospitals are increasingly turning to advanced security technologies. Axon for Healthcare offers a unified physical security operating system designed to protect nurses and care providers. Over 50% of the top 100 hospital systems are currently utilizing Axon security solutions.
Key components of this technological approach include:
Axon Body-Worn Cameras: Adapted for frontline clinical staff, these cameras function as panic buttons that provide real-time audio and video feeds when activated.
Evidence.com: A digital evidence management system for post-event documentation and investigation.
Axon Fusus: Real-time operations software that integrates disparate technologies.
AI and Automated Workflows: AI-packaged wearables assist with automated report writing, significantly reducing the administrative burden on nurses and allowing them to focus on clinical care.
Ecosystem Integration: These technologies integrate seamlessly with existing hospital systems, such as CCTV cameras, ceiling panic buttons, and Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems.
The AHA’s Call to Action and Framework
The AHA continues to lead the charge against workplace violence through its HAV initiative and the annual #HAVhope Friday, a national day of awareness. The AHA has developed the “Building a Safe Workplace and Community Framework,” which provides hospitals with a shared structure focusing on risk mitigation, trauma support, culture of safety, and violence intervention.
Furthermore, the AHA strongly advocates for the Save Healthcare Workers Act, a bipartisan bill that would make it a federal crime to assault hospital workers, providing the much-needed legal protection that experts like John Voight have called for.
Moving Forward Together
The consensus among experts and organizations is clear: healthcare environments must be returned to places of healing, not violence. As Mike Shore encourages, those interested in learning more about these security solutions can visit axon.com/healthcare.
By combining advanced security technology with comprehensive frameworks and federal advocacy, the healthcare industry can work towards ensuring safety for every shift and for everyone.
References
[1] American Hospital Association. Hospitals Against Violence. https://www.aha.org/hospitals-against-violence
[2] Axon. Axon for Healthcare. https://www.axon.com/healthcare
[3] GoToHealth Media. Interview with John Voight and Mike Shore, hosted by Jonathan Marx. https://youtu.be/DOQi_SEW3lk
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